Harmony
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Posts posted by Harmony
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This is a pleasantly simple lullaby of a piece and from that perspective there’s a lot to enjoy. The piano is a decent sample and is effectively processed to give it a rich enough tone to carry this mix. The effort to bring some accompaniment to the solo piano isn’t bad either. The cymbal swells add a nice dynamic to the otherwise serene material and the supporting string pads work as well. I’m not so fond of the solo instruments that join after 2:10 as they do tend to sound very synthetic, including the trills.
Still, the piano is what drives this mix and because of this I think a greater effort needs to be placed on humanization and variation. I don’t mind the similar tempo at all but as Sam said, switch out the 3-note pattern once in a while and try having the piano work more effectively with the other instruments in order to bring a bit more interpretation to the theme. You can also always throw in a hint of the classic Zelda theme which appears in the last half of the credits theme.
Good stuff so far but more interpretation and variation on the theme is a must. Keep working at it.
NO
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The percussion is all over the place, the low male choir is hot, and the chromatic stuff is amazingly haunting; this has Doom written all over it. Great work man.
Ice Cube says: "Ya'll foos betta love this mix betta than ya'll liked my movie"
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Having recently met Jill, listening to this has me smiling in wonder at how such a powerful reverberant voice comes from such a petite woman. 8th wonder of the world I guess.
The orchestral meat of this mix is nicely done as well. I’m going to have to agree though that the arrangement here is too liberal for significant portions of the mix. I think that Larry’s initial breakdown was more than fair and I don’t hear any source usage that he missed. The sections that are derived from the source (especially the piano takes on the theme) are very creatively handled. Great work but I can’t let the arrangement issue slide. NO
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Exactly.Lack of development is probably the biggest problem.For the number of ideas that come up in this song, 3 mins is way too short of a mix. Variety and progression are the keys to bringing this trance tune to it’s proper place in the sun. From the beat to the stock trance synths, there's a lot of potential to expand on what' here. Love the SFX, but I agree that they get overused. Why not pull some more from the billion other Mario titles? This track is pretty enjoyable as a whole but it's just not a finished product yet. Keep working at it.
NO (Please Resubmit)
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Awesomeness incarnate. Waking up with this song stuck in my head is a great way to start the week.
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http://www.zophar.net/zsnes/spc/lemmings.rar - (08-lemming 1.spc)
I’ve been waiting for someone to bring a great Lemmings remix to the panel and this has the potential to be that remix. I like the wide panning on the piano when it’s exposed from 1:14-1:43, and nobody can tell me that the clean guitars for the outro weren’t as good as good ol’ apple pie. Haha, Larry’s gonna get on you for the vox at the end though. I think the “Let’s Go!” for the beginning is essential to ANY and ALL Lemmings songs, but the vox at the end doesn't work for me. The interpretation of the theme is very conservative (the source tune from Zophar isn't a good representation of the original) but the orchestral elements and guitars add an epic feel to the original that I could pass from an arrangement standpoint.
Unfortunately I think the execution needs cleaning up. The leads carrying the melody are terribly quiet and lacking any presence. This is especially true of the acoustic lead at 0:15 and the flute at 1:00. Without a strong melodic accompaniment, this song reduces to a repetitive chord progression. It also feels more cluttered than it would with a good lead cutting through the supporting instruments. Still, working on separating the instrument to maintain clarity during 0:31-1:00 and 1:44-2:28 isn’t a bad idea.
I’m pushing for a resub on this one with the hope that if this doesn’t pass, you’ll give the melody a more prominent spot in this mix, clean up some of the cluttered sections through better mixing and panning, possibly rework some of the melodies to be a little more interpretive, and cut the vox at the end. Great work so far.
NO (Please Resubmit)
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http://www.zophar.net/gym/sonic.rar – #1 (Get a Life.gym), #6 (Marble Zone.gym)
http://www.zophar.net/gym/sonic2.rar – #2 (Aquatic Ruin.gym), #4 (Stage Select.gym), #5 (Ending.gym), #7 (Casino Night.gym)
http://www.zophar.net/gym/SK+SONIC3.RAR – #3 (Ice Cap Zone 1.gym)
Thanks Larry for the #5 source.
The live vibe on this medley is great. Some sections feel like a college marching band cover, others have a more “Sonic Does Broadway” feel and the Ice Cap zone cover is a straight jazzy impromptu jam. The transitions are handled relatively well, with the mixer wisely keeping cornerstone instruments through some of them in order to maintain a cohesion between sections that is necessary for a piece like this to work. The nearly constant presence of the bass and drumset is a nice example.
The leads on most of the sections were handled very conservatively, which is partially understandable given the limited time available to develop each theme before moving to the next. Even though there’s a bit of funk and spice thrown into some of them, most notably the Marble Zone theme, the coverish nature of individual sections does hurt things from a judging perspective. The supporting instruments don’t do a bad job of making up for the conservative leads though. The harmonica accompaniment for Ice Cap zone is very slick. I wish it varied a little more, but I’ll let the hip-hop style of that section justify the repetition. The brass from the Marble Zone theme, the percussion from Casino Night, and the arrangement of the brass for the Ending theme all deserve mention as creative tidbits that make this piece flow.
Productions is nicely done. Elements take up their own appropriate sonic space, the panning is dynamic yet not distracting, there’s a good range of highs/lows, and generally the track just feels solid. Some of the percussive elements are dry though, and considering the marginal quality of some of them (particularly the rimshot and the Stage Select section percussion), they should have been more effectively processed with EQ/chorus/reverb to bring a better sound to the stage. It’s worth a mention that although many of the samples aren’t top notch, I think they mesh quite nicely with each other resulting in a more than passable mix from a sound-quality standpoint.
I’m upset at the ending. Both the choice of themes to end with and the way in which the Casino Night theme is ended are letdowns. This is especially true coming off of Marble Zone which IMO is the best arranged, most engaging and climactic section of this mix. A fade out from an extended version of the groovy drum/bass/conga jam from 4:20-4:35 would have been nice.
As much as I love this mix, I’m torn. The mixer brings a wonderful atmosphere to the Sonic themes with enjoyable performances and smooth transitions. However, the conservative way in which many of the themes are handled is difficult to ignore. I’m going to go with my performance-biased gut and pass this. Whichever way the vote goes, I won’t be surprised though. Great work Frank.
YES
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http://www.zophar.net/psf/LoM_psf.rar- 107 “Daedal’s Organ”
Showing off your strength from the start, the simple yet dynamic intro drums are full of cool SFX and have a great beat that has the potential to form a solid backbone of this mix. I’m not really feeling the electronica-sitar synth that enters at 0:15 and I’m waiting for something to mix with it or cover it up. The saxamaphone comes to the rescue at 0:30 with a very conservative take on the theme and this highlights what might be considered the weakest part from your recent submissions. This interpretation is very conservative not only in the straightforward manner with which the source is used, but also in the instrument selection. The synths that are chosen for the lead sound very similar to the organ in the original. Conservative source usage alone won’t sink the remix ship but in this context, there isn’t much beyond a decent beat played under the source with a few compositional changes tossed about. I enjoyed this mix but I can’t pass it.
NO
On another note, for LiquidNeon and all of the other submitters out there, there are very specific guidelines as to how songs should be titled, what the .mp3 tags should be and what should be in a submission e-mail. Even if most of the requested info isn’t included, giving us the important info such as game remixed and original song can go a long way in helping us judge your submissions as quickly and accurately as possible.
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Honestly this sounds like a mix that’s only 3/4 finished. Ideas are thrown around but nothing really locks together like it should leaving the already few instruments feeling more sparse and disjointed than they have too. There are plenty of issues that need addressing (the overbearing bass at 2:16, the lack of processing in general, the weak percussion, etc.) but I think the WIP forum would be a better venue for those discussions. Keep working at it.
NO
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Wow, this opening piano is beautiful...and it doesn’t stop there. The entirety of this mix is packed with rich (read PHAT) elements that fill the soundfield, beats and transitions that get the blood flowing, great synth processing and creative takes on the theme that would make Papa proud. That morphing synth at 2:47-2:51 is HOT. The piano fading back in subtly signals the end of this mix which is really a shame because this could easily hold my attention for much longer. Great stuff from all involved.
YES
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I love this track. From the droning choir, to that crazy left-panned synth to the high-pitched lead synths, this mix has a solid atmospheric foundation. During the home-stretch from 3:02-3:40 the high synths start to get a little repetitive as they are progressively more exposed, but it’s not that big of a problem. The intro sets up the percussive groove that drives this mix through all 4 min. It’s repetitive but in this context that’s not a problem.
I agree with Larry though that the source is extremely difficult to pick out. I’m very familiar with the source tune and on DSoP I was unable to recognize the original without reading the album art. With an original that’s as bassline-dominant as this, that bassline has to be kept more intact than what has been done in order to achieve some level of familiarity with the listeners. In this case, it’s not enough to keep the chord progression (which is actually altered in plenty of spots) and the notes without also keeping a good portion of the melodic phrasing as well.
Again, this is a great track with solid production and few sound quality problems to speak of. It just needs to relate more efficiently to the source.
NO
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I’m stuck on two significant problems with this piece: the percussion and the mechanical leads. Other than that, the backing strings are solid, the bass is simple yet holds its own, and with the already decent arrangement, this has the potential to be pretty cool.
As Larry mentions, the acoustic kit doesn’t mesh well with the atmosphere created by the other instruments. I would be in the market for something with a richer kick, a softer snare and a ride with much more presence. I have no idea why it was created this way, but the Ken Ardency kit uses a very GM-ish ride and its use here isn’t giving the full effect that I think you were after. The drum sequencing is also rather static. Alternate the closed hi-hat and ride velocities loud-soft-loud-soft to take some of the metronome feel away. In general, watch out for long stretches where the velocities are too similar on any instrument. You might also try adding some triplets or possibly 32nd notes during the fills to liven things up.
The leads are also in need of humanization. With such a potentially moving mix you don’t want to roboticize it with solos like the guitar at 2:00-2:24, or the piano from 0:36-0:52, 3:23-3:40. It really comes down to good old fashioned practice but it’s well worth it when you hear your pieces like this sounding more and more human, more and more realistic. There are some pretty good tips on humanization in the remixing forum if you haven’t checked it out already.
Good stuff. Keep working at it.
NO
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Hmm...This sounds great but kLuTz's 600 A.D. in Piano has already set the bar for this piece in this style. Unless someone tells me otherwise, I'll be judging this mix with that in mind.
Klutz's piece is a fairly straightforward interpretation of the theme. It's hard not to compare, but the drastic differences present themselves at the very outset.
Understandable, but I don't think that the differences are drastic at all. The pieces are similar enough imo to directly note that the problems that Zircon mentioned aren't there in the kLuTz mix. In any case, my vote won't hinge on the comparison of the two since that really wouldn't be fair to Christian, and as Gray points out, isn't my job as a judge. On with the voting...
There’s much to enjoy here. The arrangement is wonderfully lively, the performance is masterful and there are tons of melodic variations on the theme packed into just under 4 mins. No section feels underdeveloped, the build, climax and resolution are all very pronounced and well executed, and as a result I actually think that this mix benefits from its brevity.
The problems that Zircon mentions are all dead-on though. I think this piece, especially the first 2:50, suffers from the poor velocity dynamics of the sample. While the piano sample is beautiful on it’s own, the lack of softer notes keeps the quieter sections brighter and more harsh than they should be. This contributes to a feeling of limited expression from the pianist and restricted dynamics of the piece as a whole. This is evident by comparing the performance to kLuTz’s remix of the same theme “600 A.D. in Piano.” Although the two are not entirely stylistically equivalent, it’s still noticeable that sections of the present mix are lacking some of the warmth and emotive power of kLuTz’s mix. This mix makes up for that however in it’s powerful forte sections which the piano sample is perfectly suited for.
I have to say that the final note that hangs for 13 seconds feels odd and should be faded sooner. In the end though, my gripes are not enough to warrant a NO. This mix will make a fine addition to the volumes of Chrono Trigger mixes and will add one more solo piano performance to my personal collection. Great work as usual Christian.
YES
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I’m totally disoriented coming into the piece after the no-nonsense 1 second intro. That’s not a bad thing at all though and after I catch the groove and the harmonies I really enjoy the vibe. The rearrangement is pretty straightforward but the instrument additions and pleasant composition are certainly creative expansions on the theme.
After more than a few listens I’ve come to enjoy both of the cutouts (0:45, 1:57); even the dirty one at 0:45 which I think works really well as an end to the e. piano solo. The breakdown at 1:37, with its flowing guitar, hand percussion and freestyle work is really beautiful and I think that it fits nicely with the rest of the piece. That section defies the few but important problems that I have with this mix…
My fellow judges have already hit the issues that most concern me: the sparse feel of some sections that should have a fuller sound, the lack of bass in the percussion and the track in general, and the slightly repetitive percussion. Fixing the last two would do wonders and I think that would easily put this in YES range. Fix all three and well, yeah, you’ll be golden. Good stuff Navid. I’m looking forward to the resubmit if this doesn’t pass this time ‘round.
NO (Please Resubmit)
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Hmm...This sounds great but kLuTz's 600 A.D. in Piano has already set the bar for this piece in this style. Unless someone tells me otherwise, I'll be judging this mix with that in mind.
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Haha!, this is hot in a goofy kind of overgrown chicken kinda way. I love it. The rap is pretty tight (both lyrics and performance) but is mixed too loudly. Yeah, but the major issue with this is its lack of remix prowess. The beat is Casio simplistic, the theme isn’t arranged at all and it’s way too short (1:09, c’mon don’t tease us).
Keep working at it though Daniel as I (and probably the ‘omgblackculturebias’ wingless) would love to hear more of your stuff once it’s better developed.
NO
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Aside from the wishy-washy last minute or so, the arrangement ideas in this mix are definitely serviceable. The use of the theme from 0:31-1:08 is awesome and I love the subtle phat bass hits that fill out the low end. The original material from 1:23-1:44 is vaguely reminiscent of the theme, which is cool, and we are then launched into the drum n’ bass section (1:44-2:36), which features some decent arrangement of the source as well. I’ll buy the arrangement of the theme with the altered chord progression from 2:47-3:10, but after that I’m having a hard time picking out the theme and I fear that Zircon is correct in making out this last section to have little connection to the theme.
Portions of the arrangement are questionable for sure but compositional and sound quality issues tip the scales against this mix. The percussion is horribly weak during the DnB section. It gets smothered by the brass in many points, the hi-hat at 1:51 stands out as annoying rather than driving and the kick and snare are so similar in EQ that they blend together rather than providing a sharp thumping rhythm. This wouldn’t be so much of a problem except that OCR has seen stylistically better versions of the same theme. The drum n’ bass section is also conspicuously lacking a bass during much of it, leaving it feeling very hollow.
Sounds like the left channel is clipping at 1:24...I could be wrong.
I agree that more can be done with the samples but they are ok as-is in my book. This mix has plenty of things to enjoy about it but I think it needs some more polish to really live up to its potential. Improve the arrangement value of the last section, fatten and fill out the DnB section, and a YES from me will be a lot easier to justify.
NO (Please Resubmit)
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Wow, I’m going to have to hold this one up even longer. I agree with Zircon that the interpretation just doesn’t cut it. I hear a well-produced, skillfully executed, guitar-driven cover until 1:54. Immediately following this, 1:54-2:56 is a near-exact copy of the cover from 0:00-1:54. The last 30 seconds are another near-exact replica of 2:29-2:44. Apart from the cover-ish nature of much of this mix, the repetition in this mix doesn’t sit well with me either.
Mucho props for the organ solo. Realistic or not, it rocked the house and is only outdone by the amazing guitar work that follows it. 2:56-3:44 is great, creative stuff. Unfortunately it’s only 48 seconds of a 4 minute mix.
Although there are bunches of synths, layered guitar work and a more full percussion track than the original, none of these additions really do anything that the source doesn’t do; on some level they are simply sound upgrades.
This is a great song on its own and I know that whether this passes or not, tons of people out there are going to love it. Great work Sixto but for me to pass this I’m going to need a more creative interpretation of the original during the 3 minutes that I currently see as a cover.
NO (please rework/resubmit)
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somewhere, Mazedude sheds a single tear...
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Yeah buddy, fun stuff. In spite of the near verbatim melody usage of some sections, the arrangement maintains a creative edge with a fresh drum track, a good number of breakdowns and plenty of instrument variations. Six minutes is pushing it a bit but the later sections bring some fresh ideas to the table which helps in this regard. The jazzy grooves from 3:50-4:38, for example, are a great break in the drum action. However, they’re a little lifeless imo. The chromatic lead after 4:10 sounds very ‘sequenced’ and the flute is in need of some modulation, breath noises or something along those lines to give it some character. The subtle snare is repetitive and doesn’t contribute much as well. Although I like the contrast that the sparseness of this section provides, you might try a ride cymbal to bring some high frequency action and additional groove into the picture.
I’ve got few problems with the first 4 mins; some truly pimp stuff is pulled off in that time. The break at 1:53 is especially nice. I understand Larry’s drumset concerns but I honestly wouldn’t change it much. I like the thick dirty snare, dull hi-hat and solid kick combo that you have. If anything, some of the hi-hat work could be made a little sharper with some EQ and some of the lows from the snare and kick could be subdued to give the kit a cleaner sound.
I really don’t find anything objectionable enough to NO this mix except for the clipping. It’s especially bad when that thick drumset is pounding away. Yep, so fix that and while you’re at it, implement some of the suggestions that we’ve given, give us a real ending and you’ll be good to go.
NO (Please Resubmit)
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I play this song over and over just to get that perfect silent tension at 0:50 before the percussion drops on me milliseconds later.
Great stuff.
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I really like the low-impact groove executed with some sparse hand percussion (wish there was more of it) and a soft drum set that sits well with the other instruments. I could have gone for plenty more variation but it’s not bad. The bassline is simple and low-key and the supporting pads do their job of filling in the holes.
With all of these non-intrusive elements though, the lead just isn’t bringing any presence or direction to this mix. One problem may be that the lead is playing in the same register as the other synths, and not always doing a good job of harmonizing. The tone of the synths are also very similar to each other making it more difficult to maintain clarity and pull off a distinctive lead. These gripes are apparent during 0:39-1:15 where the lead is only noticeable because it is louder than everything else. The sustain on the lead synth lets notes bleed together more than I would like so you might want to take a look at that.
The piano at 3:30 is a nice touch but I think it’s a bit loud.
As has been said, the mix lacks direction. This would probably be improved with a stronger lead but the composition needs to be varied as well. The repeated section at 2:57 is disappointing as I was looking for some new ideas to crop up.
You might want to check out Zircon’s synthesizer tutorial for some help with improving the separation and presence of your synths. I agree with you that there’s nothing wrong with Plucked! if used creatively, but there’s still plenty that can be done here to bring it beyond the accurately dubbed “anemic and flat” level.
All of this aside, this jam got my head bobbin’ while judging this. Fun stuff but with room for improvement.
NO
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This one's still on the playlist man. Catchy catchy catchy.
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I’m with Larry that the arrangement, though conservative, is decent. For essentially a guitar piece though, I’m a bit worried about the performance.
The sequencing is very natural for the most part and at times that guitar really sounds wonderful. The harmonics from 0:40-0:50, the rhythm guitar/oboe combo from 2:30-2:56 and basically all of the rhythm work after 3:00 are beautiful. Much of the solo guitar work strains believability however. In some sections, especially after 3:22, it sounds more like a thin harpsichord. You need smoother sounding notes as you approach the limit of the acoustic guitar’s register like that. The faster rhythm guitar (1:50-2:17, 3:09-3:21) is exciting and well sequenced but the lack of realism comes in the lack of string noises such as mutes, string/pick interaction sounds and chord change scratches. I know you have these things in your arsenal because they are gingerly placed about with great effect. Work on that and you might have a hard time convincing someone that this guitar isn’t the real deal.
It would take a good guitar player to pull off some of the wizardry you’ve sequenced here and I mean that as a compliment. Work on interpreting the themes a more creatively and/or improve the realism of the performance and I can make an argument for the YES. For now, good stuff but please resubmit.
NO (Please Resubmit)
*NO* Super Mario World 'Dark Castles'
in Judges Decisions
Posted
The two major problems have already been mentioned: the recording quality and the performance quality.
Aside from the audible recording hiss, I think a better mixing job would give this mix a much more solid feel. Even with the slight panning, everything sounds right up front which in part creates a sound jumble during the fuller sections. Any number of things can help in this area but reverb, delay and more extreme panning are some basics that might help to better balance this mix. I’d especially focus on more effectively reverbing some of the dry guitar leads.
I like the distorted lead that first enters at 0:12. It abruptly cuts out at 0:20 and 0:39 for some reason, but I think it’s one of the better leads nonetheless. Also enjoyable is the clean guitar run at 0:52. After that though, the arpeggios come in and the mix is lost from a performance perspective. Those must be cleaned up or eliminated, especially if more reverb or delay is to come into the picture. You might want to try sequencing something in its place.
The drums need a lot more power. They are in fact the only things that sit back in the mix. Once you give them the punch that they deserve with a little volume and EQ work, make sure to vary the sequencing and keep their pattern interesting. What you have isn’t bad for this type of cover (and unfortunately the arrangement is a cover), but the steady stream of crashes starting around 1:30 sounds amateurish and I’m pretty sure you’re capable of more creative stuff than that.
Practicing your performance is the best thing that I think you can do right now (or anytime really). Not only will pieces like this sound a lot cleaner as a result, but your improved skills will broaden your range of creative possibilities. Aside from that, practice your mixing and sequencing skills and don’t stop churning out the tunes.
NO